 |
|
Mar 5th, 2008 at 23:29:19 - Halo 3 (360) |
Gameplay:
During the second session, I was if anything, more focused and involved with what was going on in the game. Competition got tougher and enemies in the levels improved in accuracy, damage, and health. The characters in the game continue to progress throughout in terms of their personality and their interactions with other characters. The storyline eventually became even more complex as the situation for the various groups of characters became more dire.
The overall gameplay during the second session was much more advanced as the people I was playing with became more adept at controlling their characters. Battles lasted longer, people started to be more comfortable trying new things, and everyone began to get to know the levels better. As people got more into the game, their reactions changed for grimaces and dirty looks to full on yelling at each other. People watching were also booing and cheering when someone would do something impressive. I experienced flow during the second session of gameplay again due to the smooth play and intricate movements people would engage in while fighting.
Design:
I felt Halo 3 displayed some innovative design elements in that you weren't always limited to the one path provided on the ground. There are also certain places in the game where you can climb on top of buildings and other objects in order to find new paths. The large worlds, difficult enemies, and good graphics where some of the most prominent positive design elements. I also liked having a selection of weapons and vehicles to choose from when combating enemies. The levels in the game varied not only in appearance, but also in the the planet they are set on, and what enemies may be present.
The challenges the game presents come in the form of things like cliffs you can fall off of, intelligent enemies whose actions are unpredictable, and killing the bad guys before they kill you. The variety of challenges present in the game help to hold the players interest as well as make it interesting for others to watch. The game creates conflict by forcing the players to engage in intense fighting with both other players and computers in order to win games and finish levels. The game makes good use of the space in the gameworld by putting in a series of large levels that take a lot of time to work through and are full of enemies.
Some parts of the game were frustrating because they were so hard that you would have to repeat certain spots several times and often you would be sent back through large chunks of the level. The game doesn't present emergent complexity because it provides only one option for the player to continue the game, and there aren't really any choices you can make. The games reward structure of achievement points, skulls that have effects on certain aspects of the game, and a new title for online play were effective motivators for me, and they were fun to achieve. Halo 3 didn't provide very many new ideas for my game, but it was definitely an enjoyable experience to play it.
read comments (1)  - add a comment  - read this GameLog  |
|
Mar 5th, 2008 at 22:42:32 - Halo 3 (360) |
Summary:
Halo 3 is a space age first person shooter where you are the last of an elite group of cyborg warriors called Spartans(aka Mark V). In the game, you run around killing aliens and completing various tasks in an effort to avoid the extermination of all human life.
Gameplay:
During both the multi-player and single player modes of this game, I was completely focused on fighting the enemy and avoiding various grenades and other projectiles. The main characters in the game were only given personality through the cinematics, but the characters were each interesting and they all had some kind of background story behind them. I also really liked how the marines have line throughout the game that give them a personality of sorts as well. The story progresses as a fairly fast pace which is an important quality for a shooter to have in my opinion. The narration added a real sense of being told an exciting story which was a definite plus during play.
The gameplay was very smooth and the players actions when in combat almost looked like a dance. The game stayed interesting because there was a near constant change in scenery and you were able to progress through levels in pursuit of a later goal. During the multi-player and co-operative portions of play, players were able to compete with one another by trash talking, but they were also able to communicate about what was going on in the game. I experienced flow in this game probably more than in any other game that I have played this year due to the constant action, and the need to adapt to situations and challenges.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Feb 20th, 2008 at 19:49:49 - Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) |
Gameplay:
My emotional state during the second second session was even more focused on the game than the first. Enemies and other challenges got harder and harder as the player leaves the first area in the forest and moves on to other, larger levels. As the game progresses, the main story starts to come together, and what you're supposed to be doing starts to get a little easier to figure out. This element of story progression, when it makes sense, is one of my favorite thing about Zelda-type games. It helps to keep people interested and allows the story to actually make sense.
The gameplay in the sense of controlling my character got easier as I was able to practice by just moving around and working on doing some quests. I like how you need different tools in order to kill certain enemies and get through specific areas. The changes in area and objective both played a factor in keeping the game interesting. I always had something different to do, so I was rarely bored during play. The second session drew less of a crowd than the first, but people were still able to discuss and suggest what should be done next in the game along with me. I didn't experience the same level of flow in the second session as i did in the first. There was a definite increase in the amount of actual walking time which made it harder for me to stay in the flow of things.
Design:
For its time, I thought that the game had a lot of advances elements that really predated the time in which this game was made. The graphics are great for an N64 game and the scale of the gameworld is impressive. Some of the controls were for a lack of a better description "sticky" and I had a hard time in certain situations because the character would get stuck looking at one thing. The levels in the game all had unique qualities that set them apart from one another. The different levels were set in forested areas, inside a giant tree, and just out in a big open area which made for a large and interesting world to play in. The puzzles and enemies you had to deal with created conflict in the game and made it hard to get from one area to the next. The variety of enemies, NPC's, and other creatures in the game made the fighting more interesting because there were certain methods you have to use to kill each type.
The game keeps things interesting by changing your surroundings, the quest you're on, and the enemies you're fighting. This keeps the player on their toes and makes it so they have to have a variety of methods for dealing with situations. It seemed to me that the game didn't make very good use of the space in the world because there was so much empty space that could have been filled with extra things. I did however enjoy how the designers had each level have a different tone to it. Using things like lighting, effects, and the placement of monsters that randomly pop up and jump on you, the levels could have a mood ranging between dark and scary, and happy areas full of sunshine.
The game somewhat fosters social activity in that other people have the opportunity to give input on what's going on in the game and helping to solve the challenges the player has to face. Unfortunately, this only lasts for so long as is pretty standard when people are watching rather than playing. I responded well to the game's reward structure because I enjoy games where as you progress your character gets more powerful, and you get better weapons. Over all, the game was good and kept me interested even after I don't have to play it anymore. The only things that I would change about it are certain quarks in the way the controls are set up.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Feb 20th, 2008 at 20:28:35.
read comments (1) - add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Feb 20th, 2008 at 15:43:09 - Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) |
Summary:
The Legend of Zelda is a single player game where the player controls the main character, Link, and moves through the gameworld completing quests and collecting rupees. The object of the game is to make your way through different areas completing tasks and getting through various puzzles and obstacles in order to reach the end of the level.
Gameplay:
My emotional state during the game was both intensely concentrated, and genuinely interested. I actually enjoyed it enough to play a good deal longer than the set 45 minutes. I thought the characters in the game were adequately developed although there were a few instances of lack of explanation that irritated me. The games story was both simple enough to understand without spending too much time on it, and complicated enough to keep people interested in it which was one of the things I enjoyed most. The designers were able to convey a good amount of conflict by putting a few movies that each added a new aspect to the game.
I found the overall gameplay to be enjoyable, but some of the obstacles and puzzles were irritating because they involved repeating a certain task several times due to their level of difficulty. One aspect of the gameplay that I did enjoy was the puzzle solving that was necessary in order to complete different areas. By the end of the first 15 minutes or so, I had an audience of three or four people who were helping me solve the puzzles and telling me what they thought I should do. The game was fun for everyone because they were able to actively participate to a certain extent. I experienced flow during the game because the game kept me busy for the most part at all times. I always had something to do whether it was fighting enemies or going to the store to resupply which is also an important quality for a game in my opinion.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
|
 |
| shoffman's GameLogs |
|
shoffman has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 8 days |
view feed xml
|
| Entries written to date: 10 |
|
